


Sun and Snow

by starlight_and_seafire



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Damerey Week, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, POV Poe Dameron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 18:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16310321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_and_seafire/pseuds/starlight_and_seafire
Summary: While Rey, Finn, and others are leading Kylo Ren and the First Order on a wild goose chase around the galaxy, Poe remains at base, waiting for his sunshine to return.For Damerey Week - Day 1: Cold





	Sun and Snow

**Author's Note:**

> There's implied sex, but it takes place off-screen. Anyway, this is just super fluff. Hope you enjoy!

“Alright Base, about to hit hyperspace. Ceasing communication until we hit our destination.”

Snap Wexley’s voice filters through the speakers in the command center, as the newly minted commander of Black Squadron leads the team on a mission to a tiny, aquatic planet in the outer rim. If they get lucky, they’ll return with some valuable intel on First Order weapons development. If they’re not so lucky, Black Squadron will probably have to engage in a firefight and commit some thrilling heroics before returning to base with some valuable intel on First Order weapons development. Whatever path the mission takes, Poe has no doubt about Black Squadron’s capability to complete the mission.

“Roger that, Black Leader. Over and out.” Poe grins, but it’s tempered with something a little sad, almost melancholic, as he addresses Snap by his own former title.

Not that he should complain. He’s received a promotion, goes by Colonel now, and he’s been spending more and more time in the command center. He’s working in even closer proximity with D’Acy and Statura, and even the General herself. Leia’s made it clear that he’ll be stepping into her shoes soon enough, and he can’t help but watch her with wary eyes as she seems to be more and more removed from the daily operations of the Resistance. She seems quieter than usual, more tired, although steel is still reflected in her eyes and her voice. It’s just as if her usual luminosity is fading, or maybe changing, he’s just not sure.

A datapad is shoved, not rudely, in front of him, and he scrawls his signature as Connix gives him a brief update. As she moves away he steps forward, already examining a new video that pops up on a screen, sent ahead by an Intelligence operation systems away.

He wishes that one of these updates would be about Rey’s mission. His girlfriend is gods-knows-where now, with Finn and a few other Pathfinders, on a mission to lead Kylo Ren and the First Order on a wild goose chase throughout the galaxy. Their operation gives the Resistance more time to plan and strategize, and more opportunity for them to catch the First Order unguarded when its attention is elsewhere, as their obsessive, unhinged leader can’t resist the chance to potentially get at Rey once more.

He trusts her. He trusts Finn and the other soldiers. But he still can’t help worry for her, for them. Mostly, he just wants her back, safe and sound and in his arms once again.

He can’t get lost in his thoughts for long. There’s a dozen moving parts in front of him at the moment that require his attention, and it feels like twenty million more are happening just out of sight. He’s vaguely aware of various other Resistance members around him, working alongside him in the command center, not to mention the hundreds more situated on base at this very moment.

Nonetheless, despite the mass of lifeforms on base, he’s never felt more alone. Another datapad is shoved in front of him, and he takes a deep breath, listening to the report as he scrawls down his signature.

\--

When he makes it back to his quarters, he’s been in the command center for almost 16 hours running. It’s the fourth day in a row that he’s been there for hours on end, supervising one mission after another. By the time he enters his room, he’s dead on his feet and wishes for nothing more than a few hours of heavy, uninterrupted sleep.

Despite the frosty planet just outside the base’s walls and the chill permeating every corner of the base, a pair of soft sleep pants is the only concession he makes for the temperature. He knows it’s his own fault, that he could bundle up more, but he can’t help but wince as he slips between the covers.

He tells himself his body heat will warm up the bed soon enough, but just like every night for the past three months, he soon accepts it for the lie it is. He still feels so cold, and he doesn’t feel much hope of feeling warmth any time soon.

He pulls the other pillow close to him, hugs his arms around it and presses his face into the smooth fabric. It’s been months, but sometimes he thinks he can still smell a bit of her scent on it. At the least, he can tell himself that at one point she had laid beside him, cuddling up to him in the cool nights, sharing whispers in the dark and sweet kisses. There was comfort after nightmares, as they soothed each other back to sleep.  He remembers her breath against his neck as she laid beneath him, as they moved together to chase release.

Nothing has ever warmed him up quite like she had.

He groans and rolls over, the chilly bite of the smooth ring of metal hanging from his neck nipping at his skin where it’s pressed between his chest and her pillow.

Only one more week to go.

Hopefully.

\--

By the end of the week, he knows his temper is running short. Granted, Snap teases him that it’s only evident based on how two fewer teeth are visible when he smiles at someone, or how he averages fewer _buddies_ and _pals_ when he talks, but he can just feel that his nerves are a bit more frayed and it takes him an extra cup or two of caf to get going each day.

Beebee attempts to cheer him up, although Poe senses that the little droid is also pretty dejected that his favorite human other than Poe has been gone for so long. But he tries, and he keeps up a merry stream of conversation with Poe whenever he senses Poe getting into a mood. He even attempts to craft a new song that he says is for him and Rey. He’ll play it for him, whenever he has a few new lines that Poe just must hear, and Poe will sit and listen to his little droid, and Poe gives him a thumbs up each time which Beebee eagerly mimics with his torch.

Then Poe walks away, and the second he turns his back on the little droid he grimaces (and promptly feels awful about it) but _gods_ , Beebee has no sense of rhythm whatsoever.

But now, he’s standing in the command center, awaiting the end of his shift which is moments away. Leia is talking to Major Brance just a few steps away, and if he was a little more focused he would be partaking in the conversation. But he’s not, and he knows he’s practically bouncing on his heels, thrumming with energy, as Leia keeps looking his way. Once, she catches his eye, and he can’t help but grin back at her, a little sheepish, since he knows it’s so obvious.

She shakes her head at him, but mirth is apparent in her eyes. She’s teased them before, in a quieter moment once, while reminiscing about Han, that every base needs a good love story, and Rey and Poe were this generation’s archetypical lovers in the time of rebellion. In a quieter voice, she wished them all the happiness in the world.

Poe, a little teary eyed, and more than a little overwhelmed, said he was sure of it. He had good role models after all.

Leia reached a shaky hand out and laid it on top of the ring that rested against his chest at the end of his necklace.

“You had the best,” she said. She patted his shoulder then and walked away. The unexpected, but not unpleasant, reminder of his parents caused him to cry, and Rey spent the next few minutes holding him in her arms, rocking him back and forth.

A console beeps a warning, and once she receives confirmation, Connix announces that Eagle One has entered atmo.

Poe thinks he must have strained something with how quickly he whips his head around to look at the projection, examining the flight path.

“You’re relieved of your duties for the evening, Colonel. You are off duty till your next shift,” Leia says, and he’s practically dashing for the door before she even finishes her sentence.

He doesn’t even mind that she laughs at him on his way out.

\--

He’s bouncing back and forth on his heels, and he can hear the crunch of the snow beneath his boots. The distance between the command center and the ship’s landing pad wasn’t all that far, so he’s been standing in the cold for several minutes now, and he’s shivering so hard he can hear his teeth chattering.

He probably should have grabbed a jacket, but he was focused on more important things.

His Rey of Sunshine has returned to him.

A million and one things are running through his mind right now, things to say, to do, but there’s one that has taken up prominence, and everything else just lurks in the background, secondary to that one thought.

The ship’s ramp descends, and he sees Finn and one of the other soldier’s come out. Finn jogs over, and they hug and clap each other on the shoulder in welcome.

Finn laughs at him when he notices that Poe’s gaze keeps going over his shoulder. “She’ll be out in a moment, she was co-pilot on the way back, and …” Finn’s voice trails off as his own gaze becomes focused on something behind Poe.

A second later Poe is unceremoniously shoved to the side as Rose Tico barrels past him, a hurried “sorry” tossed over her shoulder as she jumps into Finn’s arms.

He can’t even be mad. He understands the feeling.

The other soldier’s have filtered out, and he’s just waiting, waiting, waiting until finally the pilot and Rey walk out, and while the pilot goes to circle the bird and complete checks, Poe’s locked eyes with Rey and he’s frozen - and he wants to run to her - but he’s just so overwhelmed at seeing her and having her near him again.

The moment breaks, and he’s not sure who moved first, but they come together, hard and fast, almost knocking each other over as they move to embrace each other.

Rey’s hands are moving up and down his back and he almost wants to purr, until one of her hands reaches the back of his cold neck and she lets out a little sound of surprise directly into his ear.

“What are you doing out here without a jacket, jungle boy,” she asks laughingly, but she doesn’t move away, so he just buries his cold nose a little deeper into the crook of her neck.

“I couldn’t wait to see you,” he mumbles, and he presses his lips into the soft patch of skin he’s nuzzling against, not caring if anyone is looking their way.

“Even I know better than to go outside in the snow without a jacket,” she says, tipping her neck slightly to the side to give him more room.

He chuckles, and she lets out a little huff as his breath hits her skin. “With as much time as you spend in the snow, you’d better not forget a jacket.” For someone who grew up in the desert, she took to the snow and cold so quick, completely in wonder at the complete contrast between the desert and sand and heat with the cold chill of the air and snow at the current base. Poe was never that fond of either the cold or snow, despite having spent more time on planets with radically different climates. But he loved Yavin IV, and Yavin IV was warm and humid and what he thought was absolutely perfect. Thus, it’s opposite, the cold and snow, and the chill that never left his bones, made him miserable … especially when she was gone. But she delighted in it and spent what Poe thought was an obscene amount of time walking about and playing in the snow.

She loved it.

And Poe was certain that this made it a perfect time.

He pulls back slightly, just enough to cup her face in his hands, and admires the rosy glow her cheeks have taken on in the chill. He gives her a quick peck on the lips, pulling back even when she moved to follow his lips.

“Patience,” he teases.

He takes a deep breath and then drops to one knee, hissing as the wet snow seeps in through his pants. He knows this concept isn’t exactly new to her, they’d seen holofilms involving it, and on one occasion had even watched as a proposal occurred (and ended quite happily) in the middle of the mess hall. She asked then, as direct as ever, about the traditions and meaning behind it all. He hoped he’d given her a satisfactory explanation that day, even as the thought of their own future proposal (and he knew, even then, that it was simply a matter of when, not if) ran through his mind and his heart beat a little faster in his chest.

It’s strange to him now, that his heart is not beating wildly away in his chest, but instead it’s calm, a steady, warm throbbing just beneath his skin. They’ve talked enough about their future that he’s sure that it will always include each other, but now he just needs to get from point A to point B and make it official.

She’s looking down at him, her body completely still, but her eyes are soft and warm even if a little wider than usual. When he holds up a hand for her to take, she reaches forward and clasps his hand as the flush on her cheeks seems to deepen.

“Rey, I-”

“Yes.” Her eyes widen at her sudden outburst. “I mean, um – continue, please,” she says, sheepishly.

He bursts out laughing, feeling his heart overflow with how absolutely fond he is of her. He brings her hand to his lips and kisses the back of her knuckles, before bringing his other hand up to clasp their joined hands.

“Sweetheart, you are the best thing in my life. By and far, you have made my life so much better, you fill my life with light and warmth, you’re my sunshine -” and he pauses to let her have her little obligatory eye roll that she only gives him whenever he gets overly romantic and sentimental and calls her his sunshine (though he knows she likes it, she’s said as much, even if she didn’t give herself away each time with her cheeks flushing as she gives him a kiss on his cheek afterwards). She doesn’t disappoint, her eyes rolling at the same time as she bites her lip to try to tamp down a grin, but it’s already too late as her lips are turned way up, and her eyes are a little squinty from the smile that’s threatening to break through.

“I love you, I adore you, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, if you’ll let me. Will you marry me, Rey?”

He can feel a tear roll down his cheek, and once she starts nodding, the motion quick and vigorous, “Yes, yes, yes” coming out of her mouth, he’s filled with this indescribable warmth and he lets out a little sob of happiness as the tears start to flow in earnest. He goes to pull his hands away to undo the clasp of his necklace but she’s not letting go, and he tugs gently. “Just let me – just give me a moment,” he says, the words sounding a little watery.

She makes a little noise of displeasure but lets go anyway, and he huffs out a laugh. His fingers shake as he moves to take off the necklace and remove the ring from the chain. He slips the ring onto her finger, and marvels at the fit, at how perfectly it sits on her finger. Not even a moment later, she tugs him up, wrapping him up in her arms and kissing him, and she’s pouring so much heat, and passion, and _love_ into the kiss that she’s making his head spin.

Moments – eons – later, she’s pulling back, and he’s distantly aware of the shouts and cheers behind him.

He doesn’t really care, though, as he’s too busy staring at her, trying to memorize every little detail about this moment, about her, that he can.

“C’mon jungle boy, let’s go inside. I’m cold,” she says, rubbing her thumbs along his cheekbones.

He glances down, where the wet imprint of the snow can be seen on his pants, and he raises a cheeky eyebrow at her. “Oh, you think you’re cold, sunshine?”

She rolls her eyes at him, leans in a bit closer to whisper in his ear. “I’m so very cold. Why don’t you take me inside where we can warm up and celebrate, hmm?”

Poe’s eyes widen at the implication and he kisses her cheek quickly. “Yes, ma’am.”

\--

Hours later, they’re naked and cuddled up under a pile of blankets Rey had scavenged from who knows where around base. The base is quiet – or as quiet as any around-the-clock functioning base could be – and they’re both sated and a little sleepy. It’s warm, he’s beyond happy, beyond blissful even, and he’s certain that the cold can’t touch them here.

He’s curling up behind her, his chest pressed into her back. He thinks she’s finished settling down, her body finally stilling after she had squirmed around for a few moments, trying to find the perfect position. It’s always taken a little bit for her to find the best position to be comfortable in.

He’s just about to doze off when she moves just a little more, pulling her legs up a bit and pushing her cold feet back until they’re pressed against his shins. He’s suddenly brought back into alertness, doesn’t realize that the high-pitched shriek is from him, not until the moment he becomes aware of her laughter.

“Sorry, Poe,” she says, her body shaking with laughter, though he’s fairly certain with the way she keeps her feet pressed against his legs to warm them up that she’s not really sorry at all.

He smiles where he’s tucked his face into the back of her neck. “It’s all right, sweetheart. It’s worth it.” 


End file.
